Ulterior Motives
by Mrs Don Draper
Summary: It's safe to say that when Pete Campbell is being nice, it's because he wants something in return. This is what Don expects when Pete congratulates him on his new son.


"I wanted to congratulate you on the new baby, Don," said Pete.

He had interrupted him in the middle of reviewing an ad campaign that Peggy had pitched for Dove soap. ("Something like: So wonderful, even the angels use it. You know, so the women will think it will make them pretty and youthful…") She had had the right idea, but it was missing something. He had seen plenty of perfectly good ideas go to pot, simply because it had the wrong emotion and meaning behind it. This was the same feeling he had whenever Pete Campbell entered his office. He had not even had the decency to knock first. He had thought it was not necessary seeing as how nearly everyone was gone for the day. Don thought it was presumptuous of him to do so.

"Thanks, Pete," he answered, wanting that to be the end of it.

Things with Pete were never so easy. He may wear a false smile and be wishing him good fortune, but he never did a kind thing unless he saw an opportunity in there for him to fulfill his own selfish desires. Always rooting around the left-overs for more. Always had his hand out, but did little to really deserve it. He proved this again when he continued to stand in Don's doorway.

"What?" Don prompted impatiently. What could he possibly want this time: More money? A bigger office? His name on the goddamned building?

Pete coughed in his hand before asking if he could take a seat. With an irritated sigh, he gestured to one of the black leather seats in front of his desk. Don reached into his navy blue suit jacket for his pack of Luckys and the silver lighter Betty had gotten him on Christmas. He took a few puffs before gulping down the rest of his whiskey.

"Are you waiting for more invitation, Campbell?"

Pete gave his predictable, whimsical chuckle. The one he did every time he wanted to please someone or seem witty for understanding a joke. Don was not amused. He wanted Pete in and out as quickly as possible. He was not in the mood for his childish games.

"Can't one fellow bring good tidings to another? Does it have to mean more than that?"

"With you, Pete, it's always about something else."

Don paused before continuing, letting his words sink in. "I'll ask you one more time, what do you want Campbell? I don't have the time or the energy to put up with your bull."

To be perfectly honest, he was exhausted. His family had been through the ringer these past few weeks. The fighting, Gene moving in, Gene dying, the baby being born, Sally's screams in the middle of the night. It was wearing him down. He did not need a fourth child to deal with.

"There are rumors about what you were doing in California," Pete began.

Draper stiffened the slightest bit, hoped his coworker was too wrapped up in himself to notice. He took another drag on his cigarette, waiting for him to get to his point.

"Yeah, and what have you heard?"

Pete cringed the tiniest bit as he dug a little deeper in his boss's mysterious life.

"That you were offered a position as head of a Sterling-Cooper branch on the West Coast. That you'd get a corner office and everyone would have to answer to you. I want to know if there is any merit to these claims."

Don snorted. Of all the convoluted bullshit the employees came up with, this was the most dull. He had heard some whoppers—Joan used to be male, Cooper wore socks at all times because he had webbed feet, Lynette who worked the switchboard gave birth to a duck—and what saddened him the most, knowing the creative potential in the Sterling-Cooper employees, was that that was the best they could come up with. No "supporting a secret family" or "living it up in the casinos?" He shook his head in disappointment, but Pete misread his action.

"Aha! So it _is _true! When do you start? Will you need an experienced account to work for you?" he asked excitedly. He actually thought that he had guessed correctly.

"Are you insane?"

That quickly wiped the smile off the other man's face. Don stood up angrily and was more than a little bothered. By the time he had reached the other side of his desk, Campbell had fled to the bar, so focused on dodging Don's wrath.

"Do you honestly think I would uproot my family like that? After all they have been through?"

Pete felt small compared to Don's height and anger. His back hit the booze table as Don took another step closer to him.

"Do you think I would confirm or deny office gossip with _you_?"

Pete's face was horrified. His baby blue eyes and small, pink mouth were both opened wide. He knew it was too late for him to reconcile his obviously huge blunder.

"Don, I was just—"

He was soon cut off, too afraid to speak. Draper leaned forward, knowing and reveling in the fact that he was making Pete severely uncomfortable. The tips of their black patent leather shoes touched. He placed his large hands directly next to the ones Pete had braced on the table. He could see the younger man's ears redden.

"And do you honestly think for one second that I'd _ever_ hire you as my head accountant if the rumors were true," he said, voice dangerously low.

Pete sucks in his bottom lip in embarrassment. His pride had been brutally smashed to bits, but at least he knew the worst was over. He figured that Don would not going to hang this blunder over his head, although he would be sure to remember it for donkey's years. Pete let out the breath he had been holding, hoping his voice would stay steady.

"I don't see why n-not."

"Wrong answer."

He cursed inwardly for the single stutter that escaped his lips. He told himself that he did not care. He wanted to start forgetting about this. Pete moved to step away and at least walk out of the office with a little bit of dignity, but Draper did not move. Christ, he was going to make him beg, too? He felt anger churn inside him, but kept it at bay. He knew he was in no position to argue, especially since he had decided it would be a good idea to press his boss when he was already pissed off.

"Won't you let me up now? We can settle this like men: civilly."

But he refused to let up on his prey. Such a Don Draper thing to do: kick a man while he's down. Instead, he moved his body until they were standing chest to chest. Don then kicked his weak legs apart until he could stand snugly between them. Pete could not stand to look him in the eyes; he chose a spot on the wall to stare at until this humiliation tactic was through.

"Settle this like men?" asked Don. "You can't even look me in the eye. Not even when you were asking for a job that didn't exist."

Don was so close he could feel the other man's pulse pound, feel his legs quiver whenever he made tiny grinding moments as he reached to take the drink he had refilled behind Campbell's back. Pete forced himself to turn to face him, this time not afraid to fight back, his resentment making him cocky.

"Get off of me, Draper. I'm twice the man you'll ever be."

He put his hands on the broad shoulders and gave a shove. A shove that would not even move Sally very far. He knew that Pete was hoping the action would just make him move of his own accord: he was obviously wrong again.

"Twice the man? You're not even half the man. Would a real man let his boss press him against the bar in his office? Would a real man gasp when another man reaches behind him for a drink?"

Pete then gave an honest to goodness push this time. His action caught Don unaware and gave Campbell enough space to move. He grabbed him roughly by the arm before he could leave.

"Let go of me!" Pete yelled, gaining some more of his smug confidence back.

He yanked his arm out of Draper's grasp. Don let him go this time; he had gotten tired of playing this game, and he was satisfied that he shamed Pete enough to know that he would not make the mistake of thinking he could take liberties.

Don waited until he reached the door before saying: "You liked it. You liked being treated how I would treat a woman."

Don was just as shocked as Pete was for coming to such a realization.

They are both too taken aback to really know what to say. There was an awkward silence before either decided to speak.

Pete settled for, "I will see you tomorrow, Don."

While Don went with, "Don't forget the meeting at 1:15 tomorrow."

Draper sat down when Campbell left. He suddenly felt shaken about what had transpired between the two of them. What had he been thinking? _Had_ he been thinking? He had compromised a colleague, a _male_ colleague at that. Don shook his head. He must have been more tired than he had originally thought. But when he went to pick up Peggy's folder of notes and pictures, all he could think about was the smell of Pete's spicy cologne.


End file.
